The DDS have successfully completed a series of tests with the worm drive fitted to the trials ship SS Isometric. The worm drive has been calibrated for DDS personnel and declared "provisionally man rated". Extra work will now take place over the next month with a crewed Isometric (the first series of tests have been made with the ship operated remotely) to conclude the certification of the new drive and to work on integrating the Dino technology into DDS systems.
The DDS announced that the Isometric's equivalent speed with the worm drive is 4880c though it is expected when the W1A is fitted to a Panther 35A (as will happen before the end of the year) the speed will drop to a "mere" 4700c because of the extra mass of the destroyer.
A reverse-engineered W1A is still in development but the DDS hope to start building their own drives by sometime next year. Until then the DDS may buy 4-5 extra W1As from the Dinos once the drive is fully certified.
